NEXE Innovations Designs, Manufactures Fully Compostable Materials For Everyday Consumer Products

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Below is our recent interview with Kam Mangat, VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Strategy at NEXE Innovations:

Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?

A: NEXE Innovations designs, manufactures, and commercializes fully compostable materials for everyday consumer products, targeting the single-use plastics market that accounts for half of all plastics produced.

NEXE Innovations launched its first commercial product, the NEXE pod, in 2021. NEXE Innovations has developed coffee pods which are compatible with the Nespresso OriginalLine and K-Cup brewing systems. The NEXE pod is one of the only fully compostable coffee pods on the market and it composts in as little as 35 days. More than 7 years has gone into the development of the technology. The NEXE pod can withstand pressure, heat, and water while providing more coffee volume per pod than majority of its peers. No other compostable coffee pod can compete across the key features of convenience and quality.

Q: Any highlights on your recent announcement?

A: NEXE Innovations has commercialized its coffee pod and demonstrated the key features of the technology and beta tested the NEXE pod in two different formats. The patented NEXE pod is ready to be deployed and can help different brands meet their sustainability targets and offer consumers a better alternative while meeting their consumption needs and putting the environment first. WIth the recent hire of Chris Murray as VP of Sales and Marketing, NEXE is focused on building out its sales capabilities and growing its customer base. The company will be targeting co-packing and private label companies and wants to build partnerships with the greatest coffee brands.

Q: Can you give us more insights into your offering?

A: There are a lot of concerns around greenwashing and rightfully so. Consumers are confused with what is truly sustainable or not and understanding the different types of materials considered “bio-based”. A common confusion arises between biodegradable and compostable. Biodegradable will break down into gases, water, residue and biomass BUT can leave microplastics. Biodegradable can include petroleum-based polymers.

Composting is where a material will disintegrate and biodegrade under specific conditions and must meet these four key criteria for industrial composting:

Disintegration
Biodegradable
No heavy metals or fluorinated chemicals
No Plant Toxicity

NEXE pod has tested its compostable material at a closed-loop organic waste facility based in B.C. and is fully compostable in as little as 35 days and meets all four requirements. The NEXE pod is the type of product needed to help transition to a more circular economy. The NEXE pod is endlessly circular.

Q: What can we expect from your company in the next 6 months? What are your plans?

A: There are many things NEXE is excited about. NEXE Innovations has invested in a new facility based in Windsor, Ontario close to the U.S. border. The 54,000 square foot facility will provide the capacity to help secure large commercial contracts. NEXE is also in the process of vertically integrating its manufacturing process. This includes investing in compounding, extrusion, and injection molding to produce components for the NEXE pod and other products. The vertically integrated manufacturing process will significantly reduce supply chain lead times, further reduce the carbon footprint and protect NEXE Innovations’ IP portfolio.

The new Windsor facility will be operational by the end of the year.

Q: What can we expect from your company longer term?

A: The NEXE pod is the first product launched but given the competitive features of the compostable material, the vertically integrated manufacturing process, and the IP portfolio, NEXE will be positioned to expand into different products and markets. This includes products such as food jars and makeup containers.